Asia

Japanese Gov't Approves Bill to Raise Age of Sexual Consent From 13 to 16

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Japanese government on Tuesday has approved a bill on reforming sexual offense charges and raising the age of sexual consent from 13 years old to 16, Japanese news agency reported.
Sputnik
The amendments come as part of reforms to Japan's Penal Code that will define the circumstances for a violation and get rid of vague explanations, making it possible to take effective criminal action, the report said.
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In addition, the changes will criminalize sexual intercourse with a person under 16. However, the bill provides for an exception in cases when age difference is less than five years, according to the news agency.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet aims to pass the bill during the current parliamentary session, and the amendments will go into effect 20 days after publication.
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